Kal-El (DC Universe)
Superman ► Clark Kent ► The being known as Superman is actually Kal-El of Krypton. He was given the name Clark Kent by his human adoptive parents. Statistics (DCIH) Real name:'''Clark Kent/Kal-El '''Occupation: Journalist/Foreign correspondent/Hero Base of operations:'Metropolis '''First appearance:'Action Comics #1 (June, 1939) 'Special skills:'Super strength, speed, invulnerability, flight, heat vision, x-ray vision and freezing breath. Rocketed to Earth from the doomed planet Krypton, the infant Kal-El was adopted by the kindly Kent family of Smallville, Kansas. Young Clark kent grew strong and powerful under the rays of Earth's yellow sun, developing a phenomenal array of super powers. In adulthood, Clark would use these abilities as Superman, championing the virtues of Truth, Justice and the American Way while keeping secret his true identity as a crusading reporter for a great Metropolitan newspaper. When the menace known as Doomsday came to Earth, it fell to Superman to battle him to a standstill...and the death! Though it cost him his life, The Man of Steel saved his adopted homeworld. Superman's death activated The Eradicator, an entity from Krypton, who assumed Superman's identity and placed the body of the fallen hero in a suit designed to reignite the spark of life in the Last Son of Krypton. Superman's awesome abilities were sapped completely by the star-consuming sun-eater! An attempt to reinstate his superpowers transformed the man of steel into two energy beings: the rational Superman Blue and the hotheaded Superman Red! Eventually, the equal-but-opposite Supermen were merged following a battle with the Millennium Giants. As the single Superman absorbed the rays of Earth's yellow sun, he was restored to his superpowered-self. Figures DC Superheroes ''*It should be noted that in Series 6, a Cyborg Superman (DC Universe) figure was released, which was designed to closely match the DCSH Superman releases.' DC Universe Classics Superman/Batman: Public Enemies DC Universe Infinite Heroes 3-pack release The first Superman figure was released in a 3-pack with Wonder Girl and Supergirl (Kara Zor-El). Single Superman was released as a single following his three-pack release. 12-inch figures This figure is a 12-inch take on the S3 sculpt. While it's essentially the same in sculpt and design, it has fewer points of articulation. Other Characters (with figures) No other characters officially use the name Superman- at least not without having their own official monikers. However here is a list of characters who referred to themselves or have been referred to as Superman. * Cyborg Superman (DC Universe) * Eradicator (DC Universe) * Superboy (DC Universe) * Steel (DC Universe) Superman is associated with this civilian identity * Clark Kent (DC Universe) In the Comics Superman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon.1234 Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc. in 1938, the character first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. With the success of his adventures, Superman helped to create the superhero genre and establish its primacy within the American comic book.1 The character's appearance is distinctive and iconic: a blue, red and yellow costume, complete with cape, with a stylized "S" shield on his chest.567 This shield is now typically used across media to symbolize the character.8 The original story of Superman relates that he was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton, before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father Jor-El, moments before Krypton's destruction. Discovered and adopted by a Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark Kent and imbued with a strong moral compass. Very early he started to display superhuman abilities, which upon reaching maturity he resolved to use for the benefit of humanity. While referred to less than flatteringly as "the big blue Boy Scout" by some of his fellow superheroes,9 Superman is hailed as "The Man of Steel", "The Man of Tomorrow", and "The Last Son of Krypton" by the general public within the comics. As Clark Kent, Superman lives among humans as a "mild-mannered reporter" for the Metropolis newspaper Daily Planet (Daily Star in the earliest stories). There he works alongside reporter Lois Lane, with whom he is romantically linked. This relationship has been consummated by marriage on numerous occasions across various media, and this union is now firmly established within mainstream comics' continuity. DC Comics/Warner Bros. slowly expanded the character's supporting cast, powers, and trappings throughout the years. Superman's backstory was altered to allow for adventures as Superboy, and other survivors of Krypton were created, including Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. In addition, Superman has been licensed and adapted into a variety of media, from radio to television and film, perhaps most notably portrayed by Christopher Reeve in both Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie in 1978, and the sequel Superman II in 1981, which garnered critical praise and became Warner Bros.'s most successful feature films of their time. However, the next two sequels, Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, did not perform as well at the box office. The motion picture Superman Returns was released in 2006, which although relatively unsuccessful within the United States, returned a performance at the international box office which exceeded expectations.10 In the seven decades since Superman's debut, the character has been revamped and updated several times. A significant overhaul occurred in 1986, when John Byrne revamped and "retconned" the character, reducing Superman's powers and erasing several characters from the canon, in a move that attracted media attention. Press coverage was again garnered by DC Comics in the 1990s with The Death of Superman, a storyline which saw the character killed (and later restored to life). Superman has fascinated scholars, with cultural theorists, commentators, and critics alike exploring the character's impact and role in the United States and the rest of the world. Umberto Eco discussed the mythic qualities of the character in the early 1960s, and Larry Niven has pondered the implications of a sexual relationship the character might enjoy with Lois Lane.11 The character's ownership has often been the subject of dispute, with Siegel and Shuster twice suing for the return of legal ownership. The copyright is again currently in dispute, with changes in copyright law allowing Siegel's wife and daughter to claim a share of the copyright, a move DC parent company Warner Bros. disputes. Category:DC Universe comic characters Category:Reign of the Supermen Category:Justice League of America (DC Universe) Category:Superman comic characters Category:Justice League America (DC Universe) Category:Justice League International (DC Universe) Category:Big Seven (DC Universe) Category:Big Thirteen (DC Universe)